Low power and Lossy Networks (LLNs), e.g., sensor networks, have a myriad of applications, such as Smart Grid and Smart Cities. Various challenges are presented with LLNs, such as lossy links, low bandwidth, battery operation, low memory and/or low processing capability of nodes. One example routing solution to LLN challenges is a protocol called Routing Protocol for LLNs or “RPL,” which is a distance vector routing protocol that builds a Destination Oriented Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) for an LLN in addition to a set of features to, among other things, bound control traffic and/or support local (and slow) repair. The RPL routing protocol provides a flexible method by which each node of the network performs DAG discovery, construction, and maintenance.
One problem that confronts LLNs is their stability in varying environments within which they are deployed. For example, in some environments, the links/nodes of the networks are relatively stable, whereas in other environments the level of instability is substantially greater. Furthermore, a particular network deployment may be stable for a period of time before experiencing a number of failures because of, e.g., changes in environmental conditions, thus necessitating local repair. Depending on the number of failures, many local repairs of the network may take place, leading to a DAG topology that is likely to become less optimal. Current solutions in RPL for addressing the optimality of a DAG include triggering a global repair manually or upon the expiration of a timer, which can be costly, inefficient and, in some situations, not actually needed.